asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether he will consider introducing any control over the use of pesticides in this country, in view of possible repercussions on exports to Britain and other countries which are already contemplating action against agricultural produce heavily contaminated by the use of pesticides.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Use of Pesticides.
8.
My Department has been keeping all aspects of this matter under examination, including the question of control, on which the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation have just published the results of a study by a working party of experts.
Is the situation such that in this country at present there are no controls over the use of pesticides?
This is a fairly general situation at the moment, not only in this country.
Has the Minister seen certain reports in Britain of possible action to curtail imports from places which have no particular controls over the use of pesticides? In view of the importance of our agricultural exports to Britain does the Minister consider that the present situation, in which no controls exist, is a satisfactory one?
What we are doing here is not so much having regard to any report of the nature mentioned by the Deputy but rather to the knowledge that we have of the proposals which the British Ministry of Agriculture have on hands for some time past to bring in mandatory controls in regard to these pesticides. Also, we have had, and are having, regard to a recent report published by an FAO working party. These two matters are as of now being studied and have already been studied to some extent. We are keeping the whole matter of control under observation.
When will the Minister take any action?
That will depend on the findings arising from these studies that have been undertaken by these two bodies.